NDA (II) 2021 GAT Q67: Which one of the following countries has the maximum time

Q: What is the answer to NDA (II) 2021 GAT Q67?

D. Correct — D, Bhutan. Because these countries all lie east of Greenwich, their local times run ahead of GMT, and the one furthest ahead has the greatest difference. Bhutan keeps a single time zone of GMT plus 6 hours, ahead of India and Sri Lanka at GMT plus 5 hours 30 minutes and Nepal at GMT plus 5 hours 45 minutes. So Bhutan, at six full hours, has the maximum time difference from GMT among the four.

NDA (II) 2021 General Ability Test · Question 67 of 149

Question text verified against the official NDA question paper.

Which one of the following countries has the maximum time difference from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)?

(a)India
(b)Nepal
(c)Sri Lanka
(d)Bhutan

Answer

Why

Correct — D, Bhutan. Because these countries all lie east of Greenwich, their local times run ahead of GMT, and the one furthest ahead has the greatest difference. Bhutan keeps a single time zone of GMT plus 6 hours, ahead of India and Sri Lanka at GMT plus 5 hours 30 minutes and Nepal at GMT plus 5 hours 45 minutes. So Bhutan, at six full hours, has the maximum time difference from GMT among the four.

Why the others are wrong

(a)India — Indian Standard Time is GMT plus 5 hours 30 minutes, half an hour behind Bhutan's offset.
(b)Nepal — Nepal runs at GMT plus 5 hours 45 minutes; though ahead of India, it is still 15 minutes behind Bhutan.
(c)Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka observes GMT plus 5 hours 30 minutes, the same as India and less than Bhutan's plus 6 hours.

Concept

A country's clock time is set by its longitude relative to the Prime Meridian at Greenwich (0 degrees). Places east of Greenwich are ahead of GMT, and the further east a place lies, the larger its positive offset. Bhutan, lying furthest east among these neighbours, has the largest offset.

All four countries are east of Greenwich, so the answer is simply whichever is furthest ahead. Recalling that Nepal keeps the unusual plus 5 hours 45 minutes and that India and Sri Lanka are at plus 5 hours 30 minutes leaves Bhutan's plus 6 hours as the maximum.

Key facts

Bhutan Standard Time is GMT plus 6 hours, a single zone for the whole country.
Indian Standard Time and Sri Lanka both use GMT plus 5 hours 30 minutes.
Nepal uses the unusual offset of GMT plus 5 hours 45 minutes.
Longitude sets local time, with each 15 degrees of longitude equal to one hour.

Time offset from GMT of four South Asian countries

Bhutan→GMT plus 6 hours — the largest offset here

Nepal→GMT plus 5 hours 45 minutes

India→GMT plus 5 hours 30 minutes (Indian Standard Time)

Sri Lanka→GMT plus 5 hours 30 minutes

Bhutan's plus 6 hours is the greatest difference from GMT — option (d).

Study next

Longitude and the calculation of local timeGreenwich Mean Time and the Prime MeridianIndian Standard Time and the 82 degrees 30 minutes E reference meridianThe International Date LineStandard time versus local solar time

Common traps

Assuming India, the biggest country, must have the largest offset — Bhutan's plus 6 hours is greater.
Forgetting Nepal's unusual plus 5 hours 45 minutes offset.

Asked by comparing the GMT offsets of neighbouring South Asian countries.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Practice

practice — not a real PYQ
Indian Standard Time is ahead of GMT by
- (a)5 hours
- (b)5 hours 30 minutes
- (c)6 hours
- (d)4 hours 30 minutes
Answer(b) 5 hours 30 minutes.
practice — not a real PYQ
Which neighbouring country of India follows a time zone of GMT plus 5 hours 45 minutes?
- (a)Bhutan
- (b)Bangladesh
- (c)Nepal
- (d)Myanmar
Answer(c) Nepal.